Nevada County picayune., 1887-09-15


 woods not far off. Goodnight ; and he turned to his paper again. Long offer Royal WAS sonndly l sleeping he kept sorrowfal vieils.
 Royal awoke from troubled dreams with headache. She If. ted herself higher on her pillow aud saw sheet of sunshine on the wall. She closed her eyes upon it with moan of pain.
 But gradually the pain abated, though she rose languidly at nine o'clock and commenced making her toilet. But the soft crimson wrapper was donned, the gl;ttering buttons in the snowy cuffs, and the dark hair put up in q loose, shining coil, suddenly of came the cashmere wrapper, and down came the loose, shining coil of i'air-to be replaced by an out-ofdoor dress and snngger braids, surmon"ted by a little Polish cap of fur.
 T must walk myself into a bet. ter state of health; 1 can't stand it to be so stupid" said Royal.
 She slammed the hall door bc. hind her aud went down the ave. nue. She walked a mile down the road and then turned into the woods, attracted by some brilliant sprays of bitter sweet.
 She had gathered handful, and, unconscious how their or. ange and scarlet set Of her dark, brilliant face, was turning away, when the cracking in the bushes behind her made her glance back. A large, strange, tawny animal was gliding toward her. Her guar. dian's forgotton warning flashed over her. .4
 My God! the tiger" she mur, mured, in freezing horror, below her breath, te
 Seeing himself observed, the animal paused. With terrified eyes she saw him praparIng for a spring. Ghastly pale, one wild, frcnzied scream of horror burst from her. At the same moment there came . shock, and she was senseless. ..ur.
 The next she knew was hearing her name pronounced in tender accents of compassion and love. She lay upon the ground, her head pillowed upon her guardian's breast, and the smoke of a rifle still hung in the air. She raised herself without speaking, aud saw the great gory brute stretched dead at her feet.
 "Did you kill him?" she asked, bewildered. "'
 "Yes, just in the act of lcapiug upon you, Royal, he answered. The creature was savage from hunger" ''f
 For the first time since she was a little child, he saw her burst in. to tears. ..
 "Don't cry" he said quietly; the danger is past now, and he took her home.
 Somehow the crimson library, with it's glowing grate, was sOme- thing better than it had been the night before. But the gray streaks in Doctor Reynolds hair showed quite as plainly by day as by twi. light, as he seated himself in the chair again, with no word of re. proof for the danger she had led them both into.
 Suddenly he felt two clinging arms about his neck, snds grace ful form, with shining hair snd dashing tears, sank on its kuees oeside hh. sah sgtv .9Fs
 ''I am not going away; l am not going to leave yon,' cried Roysl, sobbing. 4yv9 ,EyrT 9I 2tIfV Trembling, he snatched her to his breast. -gFras rsarf
 "Darling, he said, but 1 cannot keep you always"
 "As long as yOu will" she said. esa's
 "Royal, 1 must tell you," he said. "I do not love you as a ward only.p ar'ff-' 'aa "Thcn 1 will be your wife," she whispered. saa % W
 Aud keep your beauty only to bless an old man, Royal!
 F g Fl shall be happy,'' was her an. swer, playing with the gray stresk. ed hair. "My heart is not empty any longer. On, why could you not sect" she exclaimed, hiding her face on his neck.